The Section is the statistical and data management component of the Clinical Oncology Program (COP), and provides statistical leadership and data management consultation for major activities of the Program. The Section is involved in the design, conduct, monitoring, and statistical analyses of intramural and national multicenter clinical trials of experimental treatments for cancer. Other major collaborative efforts include studies to identify important prognostic and treatment selection factors, evaluate diagnostic procedures, develop improved staging systems, and investigate tumor resistance to chemotherapy using mathematical models. The Section develops new statistical designs and biometric methods related to the development and evaluation of new cancer treatments. The Section maintains computerized data collection systems for intramural and national multicenter clinical protocols. The Section works closely with interested branches to improve data recording and retrieval and provides other services, such as extraction of information from PDQ. The Section provides liaison with the Clinical Center Medical Information System team and the Clinical Center Pharmacy, allowing COP input into decisions which directly impact patient care and protocol management. The Section assists the Deputy Clinical Director to insure adequate monitoring of protocols through the MIS Toxicity and Protocol Monitoring screens and other mechanisms.